The Federal Government has secured the release of the remaining 130 schoolchildren and staff abducted from St. Mary’s Primary and Secondary School, Papiri, Niger State, bringing the total number of freed victims to 230, with none left in captivity.

The development was announced on Sunday by presidential spokesmen, Sunday Dare and Bayo Onanuga, via their official X handles. Dare described the development as a major relief, saying: “Another 130 abducted Niger State pupils released, none left in captivity.” Onanuga confirmed that all those taken during the November 21 attack had now been freed.

Gunmen had stormed the Catholic boarding school in the early hours of November 21, arriving in large numbers on more than 60 motorcycles and a van. During the attack, the school’s gatekeeper was shot and seriously injured. Initial reports suggested that over 300 students, teachers and staff were taken, although the exact figure remained unclear.

Earlier this month, about 100 of the abducted pupils were released and formally handed over to the Niger State Government by the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA). They arrived at the Government House in Minna on December 8, 2025, where Governor Umaru Bago and other officials received them.

Confirming the latest release, authorities described it as a moment of relief following one of the country’s worst mass school kidnappings. While images of the freed children were shared, the government did not disclose details of how their release was secured or whether ransom was paid, citing security reasons. The students are expected to arrive in Minna on Monday.

The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) had earlier said about 50 students escaped shortly after the abduction and claimed that as many as 315 people were initially taken, adding to the confusion over the figures.

In response to the attack, the Federal Government imposed a 24-hour security cordon and launched aerial surveillance across parts of Niger, Kwara and Kebbi states. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu also cancelled a planned foreign trip to personally oversee the response, while authorities ordered the indefinite closure of schools in high-risk areas.

The Papiri incident occurred amid a surge in mass abductions targeting schools and places of worship across north and central Nigeria. In separate incidents, 38 worshippers were abducted from a church in Kwara State, while 25 students were kidnapped from a girls’ school in Kebbi State. All victims from those attacks have since been freed.

On December 9, President Tinubu reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to school safety, pledging continued collaboration with state governments to secure schools and protect students. Analysts believe most of the attacks are carried out by criminal gangs seeking ransom, though no group has claimed responsibility for the Papiri abduction.